During my work in the past ten years supporting and advocating for human rights in the Middle East and North Africa, I have prepared many articles and reports about injustice, torture, emergencies, terrorism, and rule of law. Key issues include the right to a fair trial, the abolition of the death penalty, and prisoner rights.
I have also worked providing documented, accurate and credible information which is relied upon in raising awareness of the human rights situation in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as cooperating with international human rights mechanisms.
Better World Info provides an advanced and easy-to-use tool that helps me to directly access information and data on the human rights situation around the world - quickly and conveniently. It greatly assists me in my role as a lawyer, and as an advocate for human rights.
In the present time, there is an urgent necessity to understand the world around us and its recurring crises. Open-source data and information can help us to anticipate these events in the future.
Better World Info are working to fill the gap regarding human rights data and information, and also to help raise awareness of the importance of collecting and sharing it in a responsible and professional manner.
The platform is a free, open-source solution for organizing human rights links. It serves as an innovative and central platform for human rights data.
It is designed to help human rights lawyers, educators, students, journalists, campaigners, and activists gain easy and quick access to information about human rights issues all over the world. It also makes human rights information more accessible to those who may need it personally.
It is true that data and information systems are becoming stronger with the development of technological tools. Better World Info are working on achieving growth in data and information to assist users in their quest for relevant, complete, and timely data. Growth for Better World Info does not only mean quantitative growth, but also in terms of information quality.
Human Rights Information
At Better World Info, each link tells a story about human rights, and by organizing them into topics, it makes their contents come alive. When these individual stories are linked together, we are given the biggest picture of human rights in the world.
They organize the data into main categories and sub-categories, and establish an interconnected relationship between them. The search function also makes access to human rights information timely and simple.
Most human rights information systems organize contents based on metadata. It takes a lot of time for those looking for information to find what they need. Better World Info addresses this problem by highlighting, organizing, and referencing the information.
Better World Info transforms piles of data into useful and meaningful links, enabling information seekers to understand human rights concerns in the world, and to make responsible and informed decisions.
The website is updated daily, and when new data becomes available.
Who is it for?
Better World Info is designed to address the unmet needs of those who are passionate about human rights issues. This includes human rights NGOs, the UN, and other stakeholders - human rights institutions (e.g., national human rights commissions), universities, courts, and others who work within the human rights field. They can all benefit from Better World Info’s features such as specialized sections, and an easy-to-use interface.
Human rights defenders and NGOs in particular count on reliable information from many sources to do their work effectively. Better World Info empowers those who rely on this information by providing it all in one place, without charge or advertisement.
What does Better World Info offer?
Better World Info offers access to a comprehensive database of human rights organizations, organized by country, and special categories covering human rights issues in countries all over the world. With over 65,000 hand-picked links dedicated to human rights, it saves valuable time, and also helps to connect NGOs, stakeholders, and activists.
There is also access to an extensive set of links organized by topic. They include issues such as press freedom, individual freedom, economic and social rights, internet freedom, labor rights, sexual & reproductive rights, LGBTQI rights, animal rights and the environment.
They also offer human rights information catering to different groups such as women, children, youth, refugees & minorities, torture victims, and many others.
Better World Info provides easy access to human rights resources such as news, human rights studies, international reports, research centers, human rights libraries, and books and reviews.
It provides an excellent window into human rights education, here you can access courses, scholarships, fellowships, internships, and study programs on human rights.
There is a category covering human rights defenders, where protection resources, funding for human rights work, manuals, and useful tools can be found.
It also offers a human rights centered international calendar, where conferences, events, campaigns, HR film festivals, and human rights prizes can be found. There is also a section on human rights heroes, and information about the latest jobs and volunteer opportunities in the field of human rights.
Better World Info also celebrates Human Rights Day, which is the annual opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights in re-building the world we want – with global solidarity, interconnectedness, and shared humanity at the heart of it.
Recently, the COVID-19 crisis has tested our principles, values, and the concept of collective humanity. Indeed, it has imposed a major transformation globally. As a result, there has been a record and unprecedented demand for data and information in all fields, which still suffers from persistent data gaps.
Better World Info provides the single largest guide to the coronavirus pandemic available - currently with access to over 16,000 links. It has a special section dedicated to the impact of COVID-19 on human rights - It features issues such as personal rights, public liberties, state of emergency, refugees, prison conditions, prisoners' health, and the pandemics impact on criminal justice.
Better World Info works to publish up-to-date material with the aim of providing a balanced representation of themes, as well as extensive geographical and linguistic coverage.
Summary
Digital technologies increasingly permeate all aspects of our lives and societies. How these technologies are developed, used, and governed will be crucial in determining which way society develops. Positive use of new and emerging digital technology increases the opportunity for better human rights information management.
At the same time, we must continue to apply due diligence to all our human rights policies, operations, and decision-making, including those related to the use of data and digital technologies.
The world needs you! In a very real sense, it is up to you. Contact Better World Info today, and find how you can get involved. Together, we can begin to rebuild in ways that uphold human rights, dignity, and equality for all.
Thank you Better World Info for standing up for human rights.
Article by Mohamed Aboelazm - lawyer and human rights defender. Edited by Rachael Mellor.
Better World Info as a Useful Tool for Human Rights Defenders by Mohamed Aboelazm is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Image 1: “Human Rights Day” by Better World Info is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Image 2: “Ethiopia provides South Sudan refugees an escape from brutal conflict” EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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